I remember reading a few parenting books when my son was a couple of months old. They described how your child has distinct crying sounds, and you should be able to decipher between a cry for food versus a fussy cry because your child is tired. I was not very successful at deciphering this baby code…so, when my son was screaming and crying, I went through the checklist – 1. did he hurt himself?, 2. did he take a nap recently?, 3. did I feed him his bottle?, 4. does he want to be held?
Now, there could be some light at the end of the tunnel for parents. Someone recently told me about a new & innovative iPhone application for new parents. The Cry Translator made by Biloop Technologic, S.L., claims to be successful at identifying the five distinct cries from infants: hungry, sleepy, stressed, annoyed, or bored, and that these five cries are universal to all babies regardless of culture or language. For $9.99, the app claims that within 10 seconds of recording your baby crying, it will provide you with suggested tips to soothe your baby. That is a bold claim, but sounds amazing.
Not sold on this app yet? The application description mentions that “according to clinical research conducted in a pediatric hospital in Spain, 96% of the babies ceased crying after applying the suggestions displayed by the Cry Translator.”
I am still using my blackberry so I am unable to download and share the success (or lack there of) of this new iPhone app. Can some other dads share their feedback?
There’s another interesting app for the iphone called iKidNY that lists activities, kid friendly restaurants, changing tables, & subway elevators…haven’t tried it yet but it looks interesting.